The exterior of the former 'Double DD Saloon' at 1146 S. Delsea Drive is being renovated for reopening as a new venture, which the owners haven't made a final decision on yet. / Staff photo/Cody Glenn

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VINELAND — If you don’t succeed with a business at first, renovate and open again.

That’s the theory of Martin Caplan, co-developer of the former “Double DD Saloon” at 1146 S. Delsea Drive.

Caplan and partner Quincey Norwood of Pennsvylania are in the process of renovating the property they operated until 2007.

Caplan holds the liquor license for the business.

“We’re still tossing around a couple different concepts and we are not really sure what direction we’re going,” Caplain said.

He said the property could open in the beginning of January. Renovation work is ongoing outside.

“I’m sure everyone happy to see the outside improvements,” Caplan said. “We definitely had a deteriorated outside and we just decided it was time to do something.”

Back in 2003, Caplan put $300,000 into renovations and opened the Double DD Saloon at the site.

He said the South Delsea Drive location near Walnut Road remains a good one — and the club is better if it’s open for business rather than closed.

Even before 2003, a former property owner operated The Coastline South profitably for years. And prior to that, occupant Fat Jack’s was immensely popular in its heyday.

The former Double DD Saloon, which was a sports bar, was described previously as almost a reincarnation of the former ribs-and-blues joint, which closed on Jan. 11, 2002.

The sports bar had a big-screen TV and eight smaller ones spread strategically throughout the room, and it was packed with games — two pool tables, an air hockey table, shuffleboard, dart boards and computer trivia.

Caplan said he would not open another sports bar at the location.

“It would be more of an upscale restaurant rather than a corner bar. We’re not sure,” Caplan said.

“I don’t think a sports bar was real successful in the past and I don’t know if it would be real successful in the future,” he said.

Caplan said when the new business opens it would would be comparable to “something you would see in Philadelphia’s center city.”

“We’re looking at some upscale dining or something that would be a music theme,” Caplan said.

Caplan said he “discussed” operating a gentleman’s club at the site.

“We’ve made no final decision on that,” Caplan said.

The 7,500-square-foot building includes 125 parking spaces, a full-service kitchen, a banquet room and front and back bars.

Caplan said he and Norwood opted to reopen after no one would buy the building after it closed.

“We decided to try to open because we’re paying taxes every year and we’re not using it,” Caplan said.

Improvements to the building so far have been stucco on the outside and cleanup and repairs inside, Caplan said.

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